Subject: Shadow report: What
can be done about NORWAY ranking highest in Europe in use of coercion
in psychiatry including human rights breach forced drugging?

Dear Mental Disability
Advocacy Center,

Norway
ratified CRPD as 130. state and delivered 2. July 2015 its first
report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) (5) defending highest used of coercion in Europe,
by referring to its reservation and «broad understanding among
the States Parties».

I
am drafting suggestions for a shadow
report (withdraw reservation, ban forced drugging with law) and would
like to ask for support using your knowledge and expertise. I found
less then a dozen other reservations of 47 European states. What look
these reservations like, can Norway refer to other states to excuse
itself? Can you help?

Thank
you for sendingthelegal
opinion of MDAC showing that Norway should withdraw reservations
to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD), because they undermine the very object and purpose of the
CRPD. MDAC send this legal opinion to the Prime Ministers Office
filed under reference
2013/1135 but not answered. The Attorney General answered
4.12.2013: “I presuppose
that the office of the Prime Minister will subject your views to due
consideration”. Did you get an answer from the Prime Minister?

However
it seems to be a waste of time to write to Norwegian authorities
about human rights.

In order to use limited
resources best most effort should be put into shadow reports to FN. A
good example is We Shall Overcome. Their comment
to the state hearing consists of the text in Norwegian referring
to earlier comments and the appendix consisting of their comment to
the Commissioner for Human Rights CoE.

In
response to the Commissioner for Human Rights CoE visit and report
the governments
answer “acknowledges the challenges and complex questions”
and “will consider further steps on the basis of the coming
assessment of the national strategy carried out by the Directorate of
health”. Obviously Norway's answer of practising more coercion
then any other country in Europe is wrong. These human right
violations of forced drugging are not necessary in a democratic
society. 15 years talk and plans to reduce coercion in treatment have
been a failure, i. e. one third increase (4).

(a)
“Whether the use of restraints and the enforced administration
of intrusive and irreversible treatments such as neuroleptic drugs
and electroconvulsive therapy has been abolished in law...”

The
Ministry of Health answer to me has so
far been to wait for the results of a National Strategy to reduce
coercion in Psychiatry (2012-2015). Results has so far not exceeded 5
to 7 % reduction per year. However since year 2000 it was known that
coercion in psychiatry raises human rights questions and there have
been plans to reduce coercion in psychiatry. The overall result was
an increase of a third from 2000 to 2015 (4).

Can
you help Norway in order not to uphold its reputation international?

I
send a copy to Norwegian civil society shareholders to keep them
informed.

Answer 16.7.2015 on Facebook. “Dear Walter, thank you for
getting in touch. No, we received no reply from the Office of the PM.
We would be pleased to discuss collaboration with you regarding
coercion in psychiatry and Norway's reservation. Could you please
drop us an email to mdac@mdac.org? Best wishes.”